Sōritsu Kuchiki
Sōritsu Kuchiki (創立朽木, Kuchiki Sōritsu) was the first Captain of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13, with Himuro Kyousuke as his Lieutenant. Sōritsu was eventually killed by Himuro, who was in actuality a Battle Doll created by Averian, and then replaced by a Battle Doll. Sōritsu became Averian's pawn and retreated from public life, whilst Himuro took over the 6th Division Captaincy. Sōritsu, seeking a pawn to further his master's plan, closely monitored the for centuries. He would eventually settle on Ryan Kuchiki and thus began moulding the latter into a suitable fusee, eventually performing this in-and-around the time of the Collapse. The Sōritsu-controlled Ryan thus became the Captain-Commander of the Gotei Remnant. Ryan's consciousness, however, still existed within the newly fused body, and he was constantly waging a fierce war for control against his surrogate father. The death of Miria Fujibayashi at Sōritsu's hand galvanised Ryan's will to see Sōritsu dead, and he now patiently awaits his opportunity to exact bloody revenge. Sōritsu, meanwhile, seeks to kill Kentaro Hiroshi to remove him as a threat against The Outsider and Averian. Appearance Sōritsu was an elderly man with long silvery-white hair and red-coloured eyes. The Battle Doll created in his likeness was intended to age to thus avoid suspicion, and Sōritsu grew frail as the centuries passed. By the time of the Collapse he was hunched over and was barely capable of walking more than a few metres without the aid of a walking stick, and thus employed a stationary form of combat when training Ryan. He was heavily wrinkled and was seen with a permanent scowl. As a direct result of his fusion wit Ryan, Sōritsu's appearance changed drastically following the Collapse, to the point he was completely unrecognisable compared to his former look. Garian notes that Sōritsu essentially turned back the clock: he now looks identical to what he looked like when he was in his prime. He now sports black-coloured hair, possesses a muscular and athletic body, and is no longer hunched over. Personality Sōritsu, according to Garian Shinjo, was once an active and sociable man; this changed abruptly upon his transformation into a Battle Doll.Battle Beyond all Limits! Kentaro vs. Soritsu Sōritsu became a recluse who kept counsel with very few outside of the Kuchiki clan; the Gotei 13, with the exception of a few Captains, weren't even aware that he was still alive.Gathering of the Gotei For unknown reasons he occasionally sought the companionship of Anika Shihōin.Birth of the Bakkōtō Part IV Garian, who already had misgivings and suspicions regarding Sōritsu's true identity, once stated that he used to fear Sōritsu's fierce intellect and cunning; Sōritsu did not rise to the bait, and Garian's suspicions went unconfirmed until much later. He was described as fearless by Ryan Kuchiki and a harsh old bastard by Garian; both men knew him better than anyone else at the time.Flushing out Quincy Sōritsu correctly deduced that Ryan's greatest weakness was the love he harboured for Miria Fujibayashi. Before revealing himself as a Battle Doll he repeatedly used her as a means of pushing Ryan, to the point he nearly killed her through suffocation just to spark Ryan's resolve.Meeting old Friends Once Ryan successfully bested Sōritsu using only his Shikai the latter happily acknowledged Ryan, telling him that he possessed everything he needed. Unknown to Ryan this referred to Sōritsu's intended theft of Ryan's power and body, whilst Ryan assumed it to mean he was ready to reclaim his stolen Bankai.Pushing the Limits When he was found out by Kentaro Hiroshi, Sōritsu dropped all pretences; he made no secret that he controlled the Central 46, telling the young Hiroshi that his death was all but assured. Once he successfully forced a fusion upon Ryan, Sōritsu adopted a cocky personality; to the point he attempted to destroy the majority of the Six Directions by himself.First Battle of Nishiendo He later declared that he held the lives of Hawke and David in his hands, before then demonstrating his superiority by casually placing his hand on David's chest. It was only the reemergence of Riki Nagakura that turned the tide against Sōritsu.Second Battle of Nishiendo He also demonstrated that whatever feelings he held for Ryan, whom he once claimed was like a son to him, where completely feigned. As soon as the fusion was complete he murdered Miria in the hopes of shattering Ryan's will.Solitary Invasion History Synopsis :Main article -- Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi). Part I :Main article -- Bleach: Sun and Moon Chronicles. Birth of the Bakkōtō arc *Birth of the Bakkōtō Part IV Part II :Main article -- Bleach: War of the Worlds Part I. Soul Society arc *Gathering of the Gotei Invasion of Kōhai Tochi arc *Battle Beyond all Limits! Kentaro vs. Soritsu Part III :Main article -- Bleach: War of the Worlds Part II. Impostor arc *Noble Matters *Flushing out Quincy *Resolve Restoration arc *Meeting old Friends *Pushing the Limits Quincy Emergence arc *Quincy Invasion Saga Part IV :Main article -- Bleach: Cataclysm. Braving the Waves arc *First Battle of Nishiendo *Second Battle of Nishiendo Powers and Abilities : Sōritsu possessed an incredibly potent level of spiritual power before his transformation into a Battle Doll. After his conversion the mere release of his reiatsu was enough to shock Kentaro, who noted that only Averian was stronger. Zanjutsu Mastery: Sōritsu was an incredibly skilled swordsman; even in his advanced age, which limited his physical ability, he was fit to match the likes of Ryan and Kentaro. After returning to his prime Sōritsu proved himself capable of effortlessly clashing with the likes of Hawke and David, despite suffering a numerical disadvantage. Hohō Mastery: Even in his advanced age Sōritsu was capable of evading the sensory perception of Tadashi Kori with a single impressive step. Enhanced Strength: Even in his old age Sōritsu possessed the requisite strength to casually choke Miria; had Ryan not intervened he would have killed her. Zanpakutō Behind the Scenes References & notes Category:Male Category:Original Characters